DHAKA, April 5, 2023 (BSS) - Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today pledged to provide best support to the traders who incurred huge losses in the devastating Bangabazar fire in the capital city.

"It can't be tolerated the pain and cry of traders during Ramadan. I have already said we will help as we can. We will assess the losses of the traders," she said.

The premier made the remarks when Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader handed over a cheque of around Tk 316.91 crore to her as the first and second installments of repaying loan taken for building the Padma Bridge at her official Ganabhaban residence here.

She also sounded a note of warning that the people involved in damaging fire fighting vehicles would definitely be brought to the book.

"I have asked to identify those who damaged firefighting vehicles after entering the fire brigade headquarters with sticks. Measures will be taken against them," she said.

Sheikh Hasina said a group of people with sticks attacked the fire office in afternoon despite the fire fighters reached the place of occurrence immediately after starting of inferno.

She said they would take tougher action against those who will be found attacking fire fighting vehicles or firemen or any service providing organisations in future.

"No such attack will be tolerated in future," she assured.

The prime minister said Bangladesh has gained a great achievement with conducting test run of a train on the Padma Bridge yesterday.

But with this good news, she said the nation had also got a bad news that was the fire in Bangamarket.

"It is very regretful to see burning down shops (in huge numbers) in Bangamarket fire," she said.

The premier said the Bangamarket had earlier witnessed fire incidents in 1995 and 2018.

After the fire incident in 2018, she said her government had taken a measure to build the Bangamarket in a planned way.

But, they could not do so as the High Court stayed the process of constructing the market following a writ petition against it, she said.

"The Bangamarket might not witness such fire, had the market been built," she said.

PM's Principal Secretary M Tofazzel Hossain Miah conducted the programme while former Cabinet Secretary and Bridge Division Secretary Khandker Anwarul Islam spoke on the occasion.

Governor of Bangladesh Bank Abdur Rouf Talukder, Finance Senior Secretary Fatima Yasmin, and Bridge Division Secretary Md. Monjur Hossain were also present.